Online Reporter
AFRICAN countries are gearing up for the resumption of the FIFA World Cup football qualifiers in September while also focusing an eye further down the road on the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations finals at the end of the year by organising a raft of friendly internationals in June.
The Nations Cup finals are scheduled for Morocco in December.
But before they leave for the continental jamboree in the North African country, the teams would have to grapple with the ongoing battles for places at the 2026 World Cup to be co-hosted by the United States of America, Mexico and Canada.
There are no qualifying matches for African teams in the next international window, but Member Associations will not be resting on their laurels and are using the opportunity to set up fixtures and make use of the opportunity of having their players at their disposal.
Zimbabwe are the latest to announce fixtures for next month, with ZIFA revealing on Tuesday that they would be taking the Warriors to Morocco to play matches against Burkina Faso and Niger.
The Warriors play the Burkinabe Stallions on June 6 and Niger four days later, with both matches scheduled for Casablanca.
“These matches present an important opportunity for Michael Nees and his technical team to assess player readiness, test combinations, and build cohesion as the team continues its journey of growth and development on the international stage,” said a ZIFA statement.
“Both Burkina Faso and Niger offer strong opposition, and these encounters will provide valuable competitive experience for our squad.” Niger had already announced that they would be playing in Morocco, where they will precede the clash against Zimbabwe with a June 6 meeting against Guinea.
Tunisia’s Carthage Eagles have set up three games — against Burkina Faso on June 2, then hosting the Atlas Lions of Morocco on June 7 and Guinea on June 10.
Equatorial Guinea, who on Monday confirmed coach Juan Micha in his post and increased the size of his staff, will also be going to Morocco, where they will play friendlies against Cameroon and Gambia three days later, the Federación Ecuatoguineana de Fútbol said. Both matches are set for Marrakech.
The Democratic Republic of Congo will be campaigning in Orleans, France, next month and have already named their squad for matches against Mali on June 5 and Madagascar on June 8. — cafonline/Zimpapers Sports Hub.
